Sunday, April 04, 2010

Happy Easter - and what can you buy for 2p?

Happy Easter to everyone who is celebrating it. I hope you all have a wonderful day and enjoy being with your families and eating lots of chocolate - if that's what you enjoy (the chocolate that is)

I'm passing on the chocolate for two reasons - one - and I know this is sacrilege - I'm not desperately keen on the stuff. A little taste maybe but more than that makes me feel ill and I don't want anything extra to make me feel ill right at this moment because the second reason why I'm avoiding chocolate - or most things! - is that I'm just recovering from this vile sickness bug that is going around and the chocolate seems to be what makes it worse.

No - actually, there are three reasons why I'm avoiding chocolate, but I'll come to the third in a moment.

As I said I hope you are having a wonderful Easter but after the week I've just experienced I can't help but be very aware of the fact that right now there are several friends and people I know who have just don't feel like celebrating at all, for various sad reasons. And that must be repeated all over the world as well. So I just wanted to send out a message to anyone else who feels that the Easter celebrations are not for them this year - to send them thoughts and sympathy in the difficult times they are going through. I hope that the dawning of Sprin g brings you brighter days in every way very soon.

And that brings me to the third reason why I'm not bothering with chocolate this year. A writer friend of mine (Lynne Hackles who often teaches with me in Fishguard or Caerleon) ) posted on her blog about a charity called the Fresh Start Foundation in Gambia - http://www.fsfgambia.org/ She tells me that 2p (yes 2p) is what it costs to feed one child one school meal a day.

Here is the newsletter she quotes:

FSF's first school meal appeal has been a success with all children at Kwinella Lower Basic School guaranteed a meal until the end of the summer term. As a result of the appeal the school has seen an increase in its enrollment figures which means more children learning and less working on the streets. Now FSF want to feed more children. We are appealing for support to feed 770 hungry bellies and the funds will be allocated between 3 schools and 1 nursery. Schools and nurseries charge 2p as a contribution for a school meal. However, for some families living in abject poverty this amount is simply too much to pay. As a result some children go the whole day without food.

So I had a think - didn't take much thought really - and I came to the conclusion that even at £5 for 3 Easter Eggs (for chocolate that was going to make me feel sick!) of £5 to feed 250 children was a very simple equation. Even the price of a Creme Egg would buy a decent number of dinners.

Anyone want to join me? How many 2p coins (or the equivalent in your national currency) do you have in your purse right now? Just think they could be turned into something a whole lot more nutrious than chocolate. And I'll just bet your Easter Eggs will taste even better as a result!

I was going to call this post '2p or not 2p - that is the question' . . . but perhaps not!

Oh and as today is the first Sunday of the month, I will be blogging over on Tote Bags 'n' Blogs today as well. Just as soon I think of something to write about!